Schedule – 2015

THURSDAY, JULY 2

With robotics advancing at a steady pace, how will liability shift when the worst happens? Will it impede technological progress while we sort out who sues whom? If you’re liable for your Roomba, will you’ll be liable for your robot maid Rosie’s rampage?

You can’t effectively run your “perfect society” without good control of information. Learn about the different types of propaganda, and see how to use it in your own fiction or even spot it in real life.

What happens when people who were bullied turn into bullies themselves? For example the video game subculture used to be looked down upon but In the wake of the Gamergate controversy some people are now perpetrators.

What would happen if we unlocked more than 10% of our brain? Nothing: we already use all of it. Sci-fi writers love this trope, despite its inaccuracy. Discuss where this and other tropes came from and why they refuse to die.

Paranoid predictions about the technological downfall of mankind abound in media, but technology has also made human lives immeasurably better. We’ll talk about more realistic portrayals of tech, science, and human improvement.

We’ll review the most egregious examples of Hollywood mangling science over the past year. Watch experts pass from denial, to rage, to sobbing as they are reminded that the budget for each film exceeds the global research budget of their field.

Who will be victorious in a post-apocalyptic tournament for monster domination? We’ll pit zombies vs. vampires, aliens vs. mutants, and more in head-to-head debates. The audience will choose the winner of each round and ultimately the victor.

How would parenting change in a post-apocalyptic world? Would children have any freedom to be kids? Would children who are not able-bodied or with developmental delays be a part of society? How would we care for numerous parentless children?

Friday, July 3

Learn about a variety of materials available for making costumes and props. Hear where to obtain the raw building blocks to bring your ideas and favorite characters to life. We’ll also talk how to manipulate, cut, combine, and shape just about anything.

How do we exercise our right to freedom of speech while maintaining a respectful dialog? Communication in our ever-digital world can be a tricky thing to navigate, given how easy it is to misinterpret what someone means.

Since this time last year, we’ve seen talking raccoons, killer robots, the Scarlet Witch, and announcements for the films up through 2019! Join us for an hour of pure geekery on Marvel’s latest offerings and speculation about their future.

Many of us were raised on geek properties and are now starting families of our own. How does growing up geek affect how you parent? Are you promoting the geeky to your children or letting them find it themselves?

Society might have collapsed, but people will always find a way to make music. Build and design your own instruments from trash and household items while you learn about the physics that makes them work, then play in our ragtag ensemble.

Authors like Philip Pullman, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R Tolkien have often pitted religion against science, blatantly or through symbolism. How do these authors tilt their respective playing fields? How do their dystopian portrayals of the “other side” compare?

As population is outstripping food supply, what does feeding people in the future look like? Will food be grown, manufactured, or even available? Watch experts argue about this as well as their favorite flavor of Soylent.

Atwood’s 1985 dystopian novel about a US overthrown by a totalitarian Christian theocracy still rings eerily true amid the events of this decade. We’ll discuss how religion and politics have mirrored the book and what we can do to avoid its bleak future.

Where do “new” mental disorders come from? How are they discovered, and are they caused by modern society or just reconceptualizations of conditions that have existed for ages? Topics include eating disorders, sex addiction, video game addiction, and ASD.

Emotions run high and disinformation runs amok around the topic of food. Are GMOs safe? What are the breeding methods used in farming? How do we interpret food labels? Who can we trust? This panel will explore the truth and myths surrounding what we eat.

As our society gets more technological, being scientifically literate becomes increasingly critical. Come discuss ways we can attract more non-scientists to be familiar with the subject matter. How can we keep young children’s interest as they grow?

Does social media make us monsters or reveal the monsters we already are? Black Mirror explores how we use tech to serve our social and emotional needs, often to horrific ends. How close are we to what we see in the show’s near and distant futures?

Ever asked “How long until I get my own Iron Man suit?” or “Where does the extra mass come from when the Hulk grows?” Join a panel of experts as they answer these and other pressing scientific questions raised by the Marvel Universe.

How bad could things get? Could we get invaded by three alien races at once? Cure all diseases with a drug that has a side effect of uncontrollable cannibalism? We will come up with the most outlandish possible scenarios on the slippery slope to dystopia.

Ward’s in jail, Coulson’s losing it, Skye’s got daddy issues, Fitz has brain damage, and Simmons is deep undercover. And that’s in Episode 1! Join us for an hour of discussing Season Two of Marvel’s spy drama.

From 1984 to the Hunger Games, dystopian worlds are defined by their evil governments. We’ll discuss the different flavors of political systems that rule dystopian worlds and advise you on ruling your own dystopia.

In a dystopian future, will procreation be a choice or a duty? Will having too many children be a crime? When do the rights of the many override women?s rights? We?ll discuss the political, social and environmental implications.

We may not be able to fly or record our lives with memory implants, but existing developments are exciting, from 3D printed hands to mind-controlled exoskeletons and neuroprosthetics. We’ll discuss the latest advances and what’s possible for the future.

Planning for the apocalypse can help families prepare for non-zombie-related emergencies (natural disasters, riots, martial law). We’ll discuss zombie survival tips, safety/emergency planning, and fun ways to teach your kids what to do in an emergency.

Cosplayers fake it all the time, but the actual techniques of raising patterns into sheet metal go back thousands of years, and the basics can be learned in an afternoon. Learn how to swing a hammer without hurting yourself, and then make a of noise.

Dystopian creators can imagine fascism, mind control, and child warfare, but questions of race, gender, sexuality, and ability are few and far between. We’ll discuss good examples of social justice in dystopias as well as how creators can do better.

How many ways can we make the world unlivable? Without clean water, air, and land. people suffer and societies can collapse. Climate change poses enormous threats. We?ll examine fictional accounts and the real threats we face from environmental harm.

Dystopian books, movies and video games are filled with genetic engineering nightmares, from Oryx and Crake to Gattaca and Bioshock. We?ll discuss how much of this fiction is becoming fact (and the implications) in the growing field of synthetic biology.

Finding a good therapist who practices effective therapy can be a struggle. We’ll give you the overview of which therapies are empirically validated, how to find a therapist, and how to work with your therapist to build a strong relationship.